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Thlossian Faith
Thlossian Faith and culture is a major branch of the Children of the First. The large majority of all man-kin in Landfall adhere to Thlossian beliefs, even though the Holy Thlos state itself is small and relatively weak. All man-kin nations except the Tazitan and the Shaolei are considered Thlossian. Relationship to the Holy Thlos: The Holy Thlos is a small nation high in the mountains on the western edge of the Green Cradle at the source of the Freyeau River. According to legend, the First Daughter brought the first generation of Thlossians to settle Nomon Linnor, a settlement in a fertile, sheltered valley far inland, away from the sea, which has since become the most holy city of the Faith and capital of the Thlos nation. The Thlossian people prospered beyond all expectations and soon left the mountain valleys to settle throughout the Green Cradle -- as far east as Palladian, as far north as the Noresselaud, and as far south as Eraphon. Over time, these migrants formed their own states and kingdoms, independent from the Holy Thlos, but they still adhered to the core Thlossian cultural beliefs. Thus, there are many so-called Thlossian nations -- even though there is only one small Holy Thlos. (similar to how there are many Christian nations, but only one Vatican) The Thlossian Conclave: The Conclave, seated in Nomon Linnor, is the moral authority of the Thlossian Faith. It is variously called the "Conclave," the "Thlossian Conclave," or the "Conclave of Nomon Linnor." It is a mysterious group of religious leaders. The Conclave issues religious and cultural edicts, which all Thlossians respect and obey. The Conclave carefully avoids overt political entanglement, to maintain their credibility as a neutral moral authority. The Ellisais Conclave: For many years, the Holy Thlos was held by the Jeceau Empire, who installed the so-called "Puppet Conclave" to extend the Empire's influence and power. Resistance fighters formed a rival conclave and waged what became known as the Conclave War for over a hundred years. During that time, both conclaves frequently issued contradictory edicts, damaging the integrity of the Faith. When the Jeceau withdrew from the Holy Thlos, the Puppet Conclave was moved to the city of Ellisais and became known as the Ellisais Conclave, and the original Thlossian Conclave was reformed in Nomon Linnor. The Ellisais Conclave remained a puppet of the Jeceau Empire and still issued contradictory edicts, but these are mostly ignored outside the Empire. Today, the Thlossian Conclave of Nomon Linnor is struggling to reestablish its influence and credibility, and the Ellisais Conclave is missing (presumed dead) in the Jeceau Civil War. Thlossian Sovereignty: All kings or regents of Thlossian nations claim to be direct descendants of the First Daughter, and therefore claim a divine right (by blood) to rule over other man-kin. The Jeceau refer to this as having Green Blood. Some kings and regents dispute the bloodline claims of the kings and regents of their competitor nations. This has been the source of some wars throughout history. When a new ruler rises to power, that person must petition the Conclave to verify the divinity of their bloodline. Ostensibly, the Conclave consults and researches their copious birth records to verify the claim, which costs money -- paid by the petitioner. The more money paid, the more "accurate" and "thorough" the verification. In reality, a new ruler seeking a grant of sovereignty from the Conclave must simply tithe a sufficiently enormous amount, and their claim will be affirmed, regardless of its merit. The Green Bloods of the Jeceau Empire viewed this pay-to-play system as an affront to the Faith, and they refused to recognize any other grants of sovereignty by the Conclave. In other words, the Jeceau do not recognize any Thlossian kingdom or state other than their own, and they do not believe that any other king or queen is a direct descendant of the First. They therefore believed they had a divine right to rule over all Thlossian people of the Green Cradle -- triggering the invasion and Occupation of the Holy Thlos and the subsequent Conclave War. The Jeceau created their own Conclave, the so-called "Puppet Conclave," which only recognizes Jeceau sovereignty and none other. All other nations continue to follow the original Thlossian Conclave. Core Beliefs: The belief system of the Thlossian Faith was founded in the divinity of the First and her children, a fear of the sea, a deep respect for the land, and a sense of independence and self-reliance. It is a form of humanist philosophy. The Faith originated at the end of Water's Age. The First Daughter and her followers fled the present-day Tazitan territory to get away from the Ahzulan sea gods, because they believed that the gods were capricious and would only bring hardship and suffering to the man-kin. Thus, in times of need, Thlossians band together and turn to each other for help, rather than praying to the gods, because they believe that the gods' "help" usually does more harm than good. This is different from not believing in gods, altogether. Most Thlossians still believe in Ahzulan, Izilan, and Aran gods -- but they try not to draw the gods' attention. Rather, where divine intervention is needed, Thlossians pray to their king or queen (as a divine direct descendant of the First) or petition the Conclave. Self-reliance and the "triumphant labor of the common man" are exalted as the highest virtues in the Thlossian Faith. Originally, this came from distrust and fear of the gods, but over hundreds of years, as man-kin discovered magic, this virtue became a celebration of man-kin's latent power and potential. When all of man-kin's magical achievements collapsed at the end of the Myriad, "triumphant labor of the common man" became synonymous with work ethic and mundane (non-magical) fortitude. Today, a deep fear and distrust of magic has become a core belief of the Thlossian Faith, and the Conclave is allied with the Ardent. The Thlossian Faith is thus humanist and practical -- inspiring its followers to work hard and care for each other. Hard work is divinity. Great achievements in technology, architecture, and art are celebrated by the Faith, giving rise to systems of patronage for artists and innovators throughout the Green Cradle. This is part of the reason for the great success of Thlossian culture, as opposed to the relative hardship endured by the Tazitan over the same period of time. During the Myriad, the most advanced wizards in Landfall were Thlossians. And now that magic is outlawed, after a period of difficult adjustment, the most technologically advanced nations in Landfall are the Thlossian kingdoms. Much of man-kin's prosperity, over the past 2000 years, has been due to the cooperative work ethic of the Thlossian Faith. The Thlossian Faith's emphasis on king-worship and brotherhood creates some friction with god-worshipers, such as the eld-kin and Tazitan. It has also led to the loss of many myths, legends, and histories involving the gods. Most Thlossian commoners have fragmented, passing acquaintance of the gods, but very little knowledge of history before the Myriad. In particular, the pledge of the Covenant has become increasingly irrelevant to Thlossians in modern times. Cultural Norms: The Thlossian Faith homogenizes many man-kin cultural norms throughout the Green Cradle. The following are true in most Thlossian nations: * White is a holy color. Churches and cathedrals have whitewashed exterior walls, and Thlossian missionaries, ministers, and paladins wear white. White is the most common background color in Thlossian heraldry. White is also the color of mourning and is worn at funerals. Thlossian Law: The law of the Conclave of Nomon Linnor is called Thlossian Law. It governs matters relating to the Faith and is generally the same throughout the Green Cradle. Where the two conclaves differ, the law of the Ellisais Conclave is usually called Green Law. Disputes under Thlossian Law are settled by ministers in local chapels, with appeal (in some cases) to local bishops or even to the Conclave. Matters involving magic are delegated to the Ardent. * Inheritance: Male and female children are treated equally under the laws of inheritance. The eldest living member of the eldest living generation born of the decedent is the first rightful heir and inheritor. The heir or heiress-apparent of a royal house is given the title "Preeminent." * Marriage: Marriages are performed by local ministers. A person may only take one spouse, and there is no concept of divorce. Among nobles for whom it matters, the head or heir-apparent of a household maintains the family name, regardless of whether that person is the husband or wife. If both partners are heads or heirs-apparent of their respective households, they may take a compound family name, or they may simply keep separate family names. So, for example, if Princess Mikoa Lothaen were to marry Prince Goddard Enthaen, her full name could become Princess Mikoa Lothaen, Princess Mikoa Lothaen Enthaen, or Princess Mikoa Enthaen Lothaen. If she took the compound name, the order of her names could vary depending on context. For example, in her homeland of Bruhinn she could be called Princess Mikoa Lothaen Enthaen, but in Prince Goddard's homeland of the Holy Thlos, Mikoa could be called Princess Mikoa Enthaen Lothaen. * Sex: Prohibition on sex before marriage varies throughout the Green Cradle. Technically, it is forbidden under antiquated edicts of the Conclave. Strict followers of the Faith therefore avoid it. Regions further west tend to obey the edict, whereas regions further east tend to be more liberal. In particular, citizens of the Holy Thlos are known to remain virgin until marriage. The Ellisais Conclave has specifically repealed this edict, and the Jeceau people treat sex as a normal part of daily life. * Blades and Hammers: A peculiar ancient edict of the Conclave forbids drawing the blood of another kin in the name of the First. This has been interpreted to mean that swords and bladed weapons may not be used against other people in any conflict motivated by the Faith. Hammers, clubs, and other blunt weapons, however, are considered perfectly fine -- even though they are just as likely to draw blood. Moreover, bladed weapons are permitted in conflicts not involving the Faith, such as battles for land or in defense against monsters. Thlossian paladins are a special caste of religious warriors who fought against the Jeceau for the independence of the Holy Thlos, and they are renown for their skill with blunt weapons. The Ellisais Conclave has repealed this edict, so Jeceau warriors are allowed to use blades in all battles. * Old Guilds: By edict of the Conclave, the nine Old Guilds receive diplomatic immunity in all Thlossian kingdoms, as long as they fly the Guild Compass banner of neutrality. Guild members are accorded freedom of travel and protection (where possible) throughout the Green Cradle. Because Guild authority derives from edict, the Conclave may overrule or reverse any Guild action, by petition of the aggrieved. This is the only known means of obtaining a pardon for someone convicted of witchcraft by the Ardent.